PLANTS HANDBOOK QUERÉTARO Isabella Castrejón
INTRODUCTION The objective of this project is to create a handbook that has information about Querétaro’s most important native plants in order for people to read the data and extra details so they can nurture themselves about information of the flora that can be found in the state. All this to make known the importance of the endemic and native plants of one of the 32 states of Mexico. Querétaro is one of the areas with the highest population growth, this has led to loss of vegetation in an area of high diversity, to which attention must be drawn to prevent more loss. The predominant climates of Querétaro are tempered semidry and it occupies 66% of the territory and semi-dry - semiwarm which occupies the 33% that rests. The 0.7% of the area is tempered subhumid with rains in summer and it is found in the extreme northeast of the municipality. The average annual temperature is 19º C, the coldest average temperature of the year is 17.4º C and the hottest is 19.7º C. About precipitation, the annual average is 549 mm and the rains start in June but the peak of rainfall occurs in July and it falls again in November and there's a drying point between November and May.
Biodiversity is what you can find in one area, it includes various animals, plants, fungi and microorganisms like bacteria that are part of our natural world. All these species work together for an ecosystem to work together, it brings equilibrium and keeps up life. Biodiversity is what supports nature so it can produce the things humans need in order to survive, like food, medicine, shelter and clean water. . Shrublands predominate in the central part of the state of Querétaro, followed by coniferous and oak forests in the northern highlands and dry forests in the central and northern lowlands. Pastureland is located in the areas near the forests and jungles. Agriculture occupies 30% of the total land area, which has displaced the original vegetation in the south. Native species, also known as indigenous species are the ones that have been growing in a certain place and region for more than a thousand years. These species have effectively adapted to the characteristics of their ecosystem. On the other hand, endemic species are the ones that can be found just in a certain area and nowhere else in the world. Plants have adaptations that have helped to survive, live and grow in certain environments. This adaptation is when a species improves their features to improve their chances of survival. Adaptation are particular features that help make most of their area, that also explains why some plants can be found in particular areas and other plants not.
WHAT WILL YOUFIND? HANDBOOK 2023 EDITION This is a handbook that contains 10 of Querétaro's most important and common native/endemic plants.
Thesetreescapturerainwaterandretain soilamelioration. ACEBUCHE HANDBOOK 01 2023 EDITION Scientific name: Forestiera phillyreoides Location: In a landscape scale Characteristics: Small tree of 6 m tall, trunk approx 20 cm diameter with smooth, gray bark. Narrow leaves of 1-2.3 cm long and 0.3-2.5 cm width. They have 3-7 flowers with bracts and are 1.5-3 mm long. Uses: They are food for birds and when the fruit is ripe is edible. The oil from the fruit is good for the skin due to their high content of antioxidants and vitamin E. DESERT-OLIVE
It wasusedfor treatingdiseasessuchas epilepsyandbronchitisintraditional medicine inIndiaandChina. AÑIL HANDBOOK 02 2023 EDITION Scientific name: Cassia didymobotrya Location: It is used in intercity gardening as decor for natural background and ridges. Characteristics: Bush of 1 m tall, the trunk has a lot of branches; it has compound leaves of the type imparipinnate. The flowers have a red vibrant colour or pink, gathered in clusters. Uses: It has medicinal uses, like a way to relieve scorpion stings and it is a great antiseptic that heals ulcers. POPCORNCASSIA
It iscapableof filteringnitrogenand solubilizingphosphates. GRANJENO HANDBOOK 03 2023 EDITION Scientific name: Celtis pallida Location: It grows in mezquitales, tropical forests and needs sun or partial shadow. Characteristics: It is a bush from 4 to 6 m tall, it has rigid and extended branches with purulent stems and leaves with toothed-crenulated margins. The fruit ranges from red to orange colours, it has small green-yellow flowers. Uses: It is used to build ships and the leaves are consumed by livestock. The fruit is a resource for reptiles, birds and mammals. SPINYHACKBERRY
Thelatex that isextracted from thestem canbeused asglue.Theplant produces essentialoils. GUAMÚCHIL HANDBOOK 04 2023 EDITION Scientific name: Pithecellobium dulce Location: It adapts to almost all soils. It can be found in Yucatán, Tamaulipas and other states. Characteristics: Thorn tree of 15-10 m tall and in diameter 80. They have leaves in the form of spirals, 2-7 cm long with some folioles. The bark is smooth and gray. Uses: The bark has medicinal uses like antipyretic. Some tree products are used for treating toothache and mouth ulcers. MANILATAMARIND
It iscommonlyusedtogiveclothesand wardrobesagoododor. HUIZACHECHINO HANDBOOK 05 2023 EDITION Scientific name: Acacia schaffneri Location: Found mostly in cities in open spaces. Characteristics: Is a tree of 10 m tall, with compound pinnate leaves with yellow flowers. They are present all year but specially from November to May and their fruit from January to April. Uses: They filtrate water and retain and erode soil. TWISTEDACACIA
It retainserodedanddrysoil, italso filtrates water. MESQUITE HANDBOOK 06 2023 EDITION Scientific name: Prosopis laevigata Location: They grow in deep soil with abundant sun and moderated water. Characteristics: Tree of 12 m tall, has a trunk of 1 m and a brown cortex, it has leaves with small yellow flowers. The fruit is 7-20 cm long and 8-15 mm width. Uses: The wood is used for making saddles, as firewood and to make desserts and construction material. The leaves are used for inflammation of the eyes and the infusion is used to treat rash. The cortex is used to relieve cramps in babies. SMOOTH MESQUITE
Theystabilizesandbanksandcontrol erosion, theyalsohelp with water inflation. PALOFIERRO HANDBOOK 07 2023 EDITION Scientific name: Senna polyantha Location: They can be kept in interiors, they should not be watered constantly. Characteristics: Tree, with gray or yellowish cortex, the trunk is green. The cortex leaves small red marks and it loses resin when the leaf is cut. Uses: The dry branches are used as firewood and the resin has medicinal uses. SENNA
Ithasdiureticpropertiesandsomepeople useit totreatanemia. PALODEVACA HANDBOOK 08 2023 EDITION Scientific name: Bauhinia dipetala Location: It grows well in almost every type of soil. It develops in tropical and temperate climates. Characteristics: Tree of 8 m tall, moderated water, leaves bilobed to both sides and with a green colour. The flowers are white, pink or purple with separated petals. Uses: Is used to fight diabetes, it controls hypertension and reduces blood cholesterol. The flowers and cortex have antiseptic and curing properties. COW STICK
Itamelioratessoilandcontrolserosionand infiltratesrain water. It isconsideredasan indicatorspeciesofairqualitybecauseof itssensitivitytoozoneandsulfurdioxide. SALVIA HANDBOOK 09 2023 EDITION Scientific name: Salvia officinalis Location: It can be found in gardens as a first plane plant, under the shade of trees of a bigger dimension. They adapt to arid conditions. Characteristics: Herbaceous plant of 0.5-3 m tall, their stem has white hairs, ovated leaves of 20 cm long but generally smaller. The flower is more than 2.5 cm long and it divides in 4 segments with a seed on each one. Uses: It is used as chia in some drinks and the flowers are used in apiculture. SALVIA
ManypeopleuseOcotillotostoppeopleand animalsfrom passingbycreatingatypeof fence. OCOTILLO HANDBOOK 10 2023 EDITION Scientific name: Fouquieria splendens Location: Arid areas of the north of Mexico, from Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila and Durango. Characteristics: Is 8 m tall, the trunk is 60-80 cm in diameter, the tree top is cone-shaped and is 2-3 cm in diameter. Their branches grow from below, attached to the ground, the leaves are small and elliptical. The flowers are bright orange colour, of 2.5 cm long and 7 mm wide, the fruit has capsules with flat and winged seeds in their interior. Uses: The fruit can be eaten and it is used to make handicrafts. The cut stems can be used to make stockade fences for houses, vegetable gardens, corrals, etc The stem can be cooked to relieve kidney ailments and the flower can be used against coughs. HOPBUSH
CONCLUSION To sum it allup, native and endemic species are important to ecosystems because they are part of the balance of it that has been developing over hundreds of years. Native plants have various benefits that include conserving water, protecting soil from erosion, creating habitat and providing food for animals like birds, pollinators and small mammals. If you have the possibility to grow a small garden of native plants I encourage you to do it because apart from bringing beauty it also helps the ecosystem. Besides, it is very easy to grow and it doesn’t need a lot of maintenance. When you have native plants in your garden you are contributing to the survival of native species, some of which are threatened due to human destruction of habitats. We need to protect biodiversity so we can continue receiving clean water, purified air, climate regulation and food. Without biodiversity, humans could not exist, they are our natural capital and sustain our economies.
REFERENCES Fideicomiso Queretano para la Conservación del Medio Ambiente. (2014). Catálogo de plantas nativas del estado de Querétaro. Issuu. https://issuu.com/fiqma/docs/catalogo_de_plantas_nativas_del_est Hancock, L. (n.d.). What is biodiversity?. World WildLife. https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/what-is-biodiversity Hérnandez, C. & Sandoval, L.G. (n.d.). Plantas nativas en el estado de Santiago de Querétaro. Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro. https://www.uaq.mx/investigacion/difusion/veranos/memorias2009/OctavoVerano_38/14_Hernandez_Martinez.pdf Martínez, M. & Hernández, S. (2017). Guía Ilustrada de la flora del valle de Querétaro. Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro. https://bioteca.biodiversidad.gob.mx/janium/Documentos/13302.pdf University of Rhode Island. (n.d.). What are native plants?. The University of Rhode Island. https://web.uri.edu/rinativeplants/what-are-nativeplants/#:~:text=Native%20plants%20are%2C%20in%20a,conditions% 20that%20characterize%20their%20ecosystem.